Breakout
by Alexx18
Summary: A mass breakout 23 years after the defeat of Voldemort puts Lily, Albus, and James Potter in grave danger. The Death Eaters want revenge, and Harry's children are their first targets. I wrote this several years ago, but I'm re-writing it because I have some better ideas I'd like to incorporate in the story. Rated T for violence and language.
1. September First

"Mum! We're going to be late!" shouted Lily.

"No, we will not be late, dear. Just go sit in the car, I'll be there in just a moment," replied Ginny, stifling a cough.

Ginny had been suffering from a cold for the past week, and her children were only increasing the pain of her headache. She massaged her temples as she scanned their rooms to be sure her children hadn't forgotten anything. The racket from downstairs was more than a little distracting.

"Mum! Where's my broom?" shouted Albus.

"She put it in the trunk already!" said Lily.

"I just looked, it's not there!" said Albus, rather frustrated.

"Ha, looking for something?"

Along came James, loftily walking by with Albus' broom over his shoulder.

"MUM! JAMES HAS MY BROOM!"

"Ha, ha! Don't even bother, you can't reach it!"

James was holding Albus' broom high above his head as Lily jumped up and down with anxiety.

"We are going to be late!" she exclaimed.

It was September 1st, one of the most stressful days of the year.

"SHUT IT! ALL OF YOU!"

It was Harry's voice. For the first time that morning, there was silence. Ginny breathed a sigh of relief as she took one last glance around Albus' bedroom, and began to walk downstairs. As she walked, she could hear her husband.

"Lily, we are not going to be late. Calm down. Albus, there's no need to shout. James, give Albus his broom right now. If you take it one more time, I will snap _your_ broom in half."

Ginny chuckled as she grabbed her purse. Harry would never snap that broom in half; it cost them a fortune. As she arrived at the front door, Harry was waiting for her.

"They're getting in the car now. How are you feeling?" said Harry.

"Just grand," said Ginny sarcastically, searching her purse for her keys.

"Accio keys," said Harry, and the keys flew out of Ginny's purse and in to his hands.

"I'll drive," said Harry, and he kissed Ginny on the cheek and began walking toward the car.

"Ugh, how is the summer holiday over already?" complained James from the back seat of the car.

"James! Aren't you excited? I'm _so_ excited!" exclaimed Lily, who was squished in between James and Albus.

"Yeah, well you don't have to take your O.W.L.s this year," grumbled Albus.

"Oh, Albus, you'll do fine. Besides, that's a long way off," said Ginny.

"Mum, are we going to be late?" asked Lily.

Ginny struggled to keep her voice level as she said, "No, Lily. Be patient."

Once they were on Platform Nine and Three Quarters, the five Potters made their way to the Weasley family.

"Harry! How are you?"

Ron Weasley, Harry's best friend, was leading his wife and two chidlren toward the Potters.

"Ginny, you look awful," said Ron.

"Oh, I'll show you what awful really looks like," said Ginny, her voice coming out scratchy and congested.

Harry put a comforting arm around his wife, partially to make sure she hadn't taken her wand out. Hermione began examining Ginny's symptoms and suggesting spells and potions. Harry was no longer listening to the conversation. A series of signs posted along the wall had caught his attention. He jumped when he heard the warning whistle.

"...But make sure you don't mix it with another potion before it's been four hours. You'd be covered in hives," finished Hermione.

Parents all over were suddenly rushing around and saying their goodbyes. Harry looked at his children. Lily's cheeks were rosy with excitement, her long, red hair matched her mother's. Albus, who was entering his fifth year at Hogwarts, could've been Harry's fifth-year clone. His green eyes and messy black hair were exactly like Harry's. And then there was James, grumpy as ever about returning to school. He had his mother's brown eyes, but is father's hair.

"Have fun, sweetheart. Make sure you write to us. I want to hear all about your first visit to Hogsmeade!" Ginny said to Lily, kissing her on the forehead.

"And do be careful when you go to Hagrid's. If you want to pet something, stick with Buckbeak," said Harry.

"Oh, it was one little burn, big deal!" said Lily with a big smile.

Harry gave Lily a hug and said, "Don't forget, one of you needs to send us your Quidditch schedule. Your mum and I would like to make it to at least one match."

Harry and Ginny finished saying their goodbyes and sent their children on to the train along with Rose and Hugo, Ron and Hermione's children. All except James, who Harry had pulled aside.

"James, you're sixteen. I don't want you to worry but I think you're old enough to know what's going on," said Harry, talking quickly and quietly to his son.

"See those signs over there? There's been a breakout in Azkaban. Now, it could mean nothing, but there hasn't been a breakout since the war. I need you to be extremely careful. Hogwarts is safe, and I trust that school more than anywhere else with your safety. But if anything, anything at all seems strange you need to let me know straight away. Understand?"

James nodded, eyes wide.

"Don't worry. You'll be fine. I just need you to be alert. I'll let you know as I get more information. Take care of your brother and sister."

The two of them said one last goodbye, and James hopped onto the train, his mind reeling. Harry turned his head to look back at the signs. Ron was looking at them as well. He turned to face Harry, and the two of them looked at one another for a moment, the same fear spread across their faces.

It wasn't long before Hermione and Ginny directed their attention to the signs as well. Both of their faces were coated with fear as they saw the ten, sneering Death Eaters' faces looking back at them.


	2. Brotherly Love

As James walked slowly onto the train, which had just started moving, he noticed a beautiful girl a couple compartments down the aisle. She had long, brown hair and matching warm, brown eyes. She beamed as she rushed to him for a hug.

"James! It's been so long!" said Olivia, James' girlfriend.

"Too long, Liv. How are you?" he asked, returning her hug.

"I am just perfect now that I can finally see you! Not that I don't enjoy your letters, but I can't believe I only got to see you once over the holiday!" she exclaimed, then grasped his hand to lead him to a compartment.

James sat across from Olivia and held her hand on the table between them. He gazed out the window as she spoke of upcoming classes and friends she hadn't spotted on the train yet. Eventually, Olivia realized James wasn't paying much attention.

"James? Is everything alright?" asked Olivia.

James looked at Olivia with worry. He'd known her ever since they'd been placed in the same boat to Hogwarts as First Years. They'd become best friends, and at the beginning of their fifth year, they'd become slightly more than friendly with one another. He knew he could tell her anything. So, James told Olivia what his father had told him just before the train left.

Olivia was frowning; her face was pinched with worry.

"How many broke out? Who are they?" she asked.

"I don't know, he didn't really have time to tell me. He actually didn't tell me much at all. I don't even get why he was so worried. I mean, I'm sure there was a reason, but he sure didn't share it with me," said James.

Olivia nodded, but now it was her turn to gaze out the window. She was thinking hard about something, and James could tell.

"What is it, Liv?" he asked her.

Olivia turned to look at James and said, "It's just...what if they're Death Eaters?"

"So what if they are?" asked James, confused.

"James, your dad put most of them in Azkaban. Even the ones who weren't captured immediately after the war...he helped hunt the rest of them down. He _led_ the hunt. They've been stuck in Azkaban for like twenty years because of him."

James stared at Olivia, unsure of what to say. Olivia looked down at her hands and continued.

"Those Death Eaters have been sitting in Azkaban for years thinking about how much they hate your father for sending them there. They've had years to think about what they'd do to him if they got out. Now, they're out."

James smiled and said, "He beat them once, he'll beat them again. They don't stand a chance against my dad, especially when his Auror buddies are with him."

Olivia's frown did not falter, and she looked down at her hands once more.

"I think they know that, James," she said slowly.

"Then what are you getting at?" asked James, frustrated.

Olivia took a deep breath. "To hurt someone, it doesn't always require physical pain. Your father is one of the greatest wizards of our time, and those Death Eaters know that. They're horrible, disgusting people, but they're not stupid. They know they don't stand a chance against your father. They'd settle for the next best thing."

Olivia slowly looked up to stare right at James, whose stomach clenched as realization hit him.

"Which ones?" asked Hermione, rushing up to the sign along with her friends.

"Yaxley, Dolohov, Rowle, Macnair...there's ten of them!" said Harry, running his fingers through his jet black hair.

"Harry, they might not be planning anything. They escaped, maybe that's all they wanted to do," said Ron hopefully.

"I don't think so. For them to escape, they'd have needed outside help. Death Eaters are all selfish. They wouldn't help one another unless they gained from it as well. They have to be all focusing on something. They're working together," said Ginny, staring at the sign picturing Rowle, a blond, burly man.

"So they're after Harry?" asked Ron.

"It's not me I'm worried about, Ron," said Harry, "it's the kids."

Ron gasped and turned to look at the train as it disappeared, as if he could catch up and pull his children out of it.

"Ron, they'll be safe at Hogwarts," said Hermione, placing a hand on Ron's arm.

"Should...should we tell them?" asked Ginny, looking at Harry.

"I told James a little. I don't think Albus and Lily need to know anything just yet. They shouldn't have to be worrying about Death Eaters while they're in school," said Harry.

"We did," said Ron, rolling his eyes.

"Exactly. I know how that feels. I don't want my kids to deal with that, too," said Harry, staring at the sneering photo of Yaxley.

Harry checked his watch and looked back up at the sign. "I don't understand how we didn't get an owl about this. This says it happened around 6am."

"It probably crossed paths with you as you drove here," said Ron.

"Even so, we didn't leave until about 10:15. I should've received an owl within an hour of this breakout," said Harry, turning away from the sign in disgust.

Ron nodded and said, "I'll check with Cameron at the office and see what caused the delay."

Harry turned to Ginny and handed her the car keys. "Are you okay to drive home?"

Ginny glared and said, "I'm sick, not drunk. I can drive just fine," and she snatched the keys from Harry.

Harry smiled and said, "I probably won't be home until late tonight."

"I know. I'll wait up for you."

Harry kissed Ginny and disapparated.

"Rose, would you mind passing the gravy?" asked Albus, hastily covering his plate with food.

Rose did as she was asked and looked around. The Great Hall was flooded with students. Some were shoving food into their mouths like Albus, others were scurrying around and finding their friends. When Rose spotted Hagrid taking his seat at the staff table, she waved, to which he smiled and did the same. Albus noticed the exchange and smiled at Hagrid.

"It's a shame we don't have room for his class this year. It was always a good laugh," said Albus.

"Yes, well, I think it's best. After all, did you see the burns Lily got last year? Those horrible skrewts..." said Rose, shaking her head.

"Hey! Hagrid's great! Besides, Lily wasn't even in his class! She just offered to take the skrewts for a walk one day and it didn't end so well. Hagrid took care of her," said Albus.

"I'm very fond of Hagrid, I just prefer visiting him to taking his classes with those dangerous creatures," replied Rose.

"Albus! There you are!"

Albus turned to see his older brother standing above him.

"Oh come on James, not now. We just got here," groaned Albus.

The two brothers loved each other, but that was never something they'd care to admit. Even though they were only a year apart, James spent most of his time picking on Albus.

"What? Hey, where's Lily?" asked James.

Albus stopped shoveling food into his mouth for the first time since they'd sat down and looked up at James.

"Um...I don't know, probably with her friends," said Albus.

Rose looked at James curiously. He was speaking to Albus, but looking around the room urgently.

"Ah! There she is! See you later," said James, and he hurried away to speak to Lily.

Rose's eyes followed him all the way to the other end of the table, where Lily was sitting next to Hugo and some of their friends. Rose turned to look at Albus, who was looking right back at her, his face reflecting utter confusion.

"Hey, Lily," said James, walking behind his sister.

"Hey, James," said Lily, looking just as confused as Albus.

Upon returning to Hogwarts each year, James' first plan was to immediately find his friends and pretend his siblings didn't exist. James didn't feel particularly "cool" when talking to younger kids, especially if they were his siblings. And James was all about being cool. Therefore, James' determined search for his brother and sister was highly unusual.

"Just checking to see that you made it off the train alright. I guess I'll see you later," said James.

Lily froze and turned slowly to face her brother.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah," said James, not looking at Lily.

James waved at Lily and her friends, then walked back to where his friends were sitting. Some of Lily's friend giggled.

"Your brother is so cute," said her friend Abigail.

"I don't know, I think I prefer Albus. He has those gorgeous green eyes," said another of Lily's friends, Emma.

"Please, stop that before I hurl," said Lily, rolling her eyes.

Abigail and Emma laughed.

"What happened to him over the summer?" Hugo asked.

Lily looked up to see Hugo looking down the table at James.

"I don't know what was up with that, to be honest with you. I think maybe Olivia put him up to it. She's so nice. I don't know how he ended up with her," said Lily, shaking her head.

Hugo laughed just as Professor McGonagall could be seen standing from her seat in the center of the long staff table. Silence fell over the Great Hall almost immediately.

"Well, I think it's time you all got some rest. First Years, please follow your Prefects to your common rooms. Tomorrow, your schedules will be handed out by hour Heads of House during breakfast. I suggest you all get a good night's sleep in preparation for your classes. Off you go," said Professor McGonagall.

Professor McGonagall continued to stand and watch as all of the students shuffled out of the Great Hall. She looked almost identical to when Harry was in school, just more wrinkles and more gray hair. She looked imperiously over her glasses, examining the students. Lily smiled and waved at her as she passed, and Professor McGonagall returned the gesture with a small smile and a nod.

As Lily walked into the warm and comfortable Gryffindor common room, she realized how tired she was. Her eyelids were suddenly very heavy, and her legs took a lot more effort to move.

"See you in the morning," said Hugo, and he walked up the stairs to the boys' dormitories.

Lily said goodbye to her cousin and headed the opposite direction. She caught sight of Albus, said good night to him, and went straight to bed.


	3. Silence

"Potter."

James froze in his tracks. What had he done to get McGonagall on his case already? She was going to make him late to Potions, and then probably give him a detention for being late to Potions. He turned around slowly to face her and smiled.

"Ah, Professor McGonagall! To what do I owe this pleasure?" asked James with a fake smile.

Professor McGonagall raised her eyebrows in amusement.

"Guilty conscience?" she asked.

James laughed and said, "No, believe it or not, I actually haven't caused any trouble just yet. I suppose I'm a little behind."

"Interestingly enough, that's something I wanted to talk to you about," said Professor McGonagall.

James looked at her worriedly, wondering if some of his detentions from fifth year were carrying over.

"As I'm sure you know, Quidditch Captains are chosen over the summer, and badges are sent out accordingly. Now, your Head of House had a captain picked out, but before I could approve his choice, I wanted to be sure that the selected individual could handle the responsibility before being granted such a position."

James looked at her incredulously.

"I believe that you are the best potential Captain for Gryffindor. However, your leadership and skill shown on the pitch seem to evaporate the moment the Snitch is caught. During your first five years here you have not been well-behaved, and I believe you are aware of this."

James nodded sheepishly.

"I will only trust you with this position if you are responsible enough to handle it. I'd like to see a lot less detentions from you this year, Mr. Potter, and that means a lot less pranks, smart comments, and disturbances. This is a privilege, Potter, and it can easily be taken away. There are a number of other students who I am sure would be willing to take your place. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Professor. Of course," said James, nodding vigorously.

"Very well then, you are the Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team," said Professor McGonagall, handing James his badge.

James took the badge and smiled at it. He couldn't wait to tell his father. Professor McGonagall smiled as if reading his mind, and began to walk away. Then, remembering something, she stopped and turned around.

"Just so you know, if you slip up, and I feel that you no longer deserve to be Captain, the person who gets the position is your brother."

It was late. Ginny was home alone, scribbling furiously on a long roll of parchment. Her hair was piled on top of her head, and surrounding her were mountains of crumpled parchment, old magazines and newspapers, and tables displaying various types of data. She was hunched over her desk, paying no attention to anything around her, not even her cat, which was desperately trying to sit on Ginny's lap.

 _Crack!_

Ginny jumped from her chair and grabbed her wand immediately. The loud, sudden sound had come from down the hall. She slowly walked across her office and placed her back to the wall, attempting to look out her doorway. She couldn't see anyone or anything. She couldn't hear anything over the thudding of her heart. Seeing no other alternative, Ginny gulped and slowly poked her head out the doorway.

The hallway was clear, so Ginny slowly began to walk down toward the living room, still pointing her wand ahead of her. As she neared the end of the hallway, Ginny heard footsteps. She froze and prepared herself as the footsteps came closer. The person was going to round the corner any moment. She raised her wand, ready to cast any hex she could think of on –

" _Harry!"_

"Merlin, Ginny, what are you doing?" said Harry, clearly taken aback by Ginny's wand, which was still pointed at him.

"I heard someone apparate! You never apparate!" shouted Ginny, still not lowering her wand.

"I ran out of floo powder – I'm sorry, I should have told you – "

"PROVE IT!" shouted Ginny, taking a step back from Harry.

For a moment Harry looked extremely offended, but then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"We've been married for 18 years, and I've loved every moment of it. We thought about eloping to avoid planning a wedding, but we knew your mother would have our heads if we did that. I first told you I loved you at Christmas after the Battle of Hogwarts. You thought I was drunk, so I stayed awake all night to prove I knew what I was saying, and that I meant it with all my heart."

Ginny smiled at Harry as she lowered her wand. Harry breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm sorry, Ginny. You're right to be so cautious. I should've sent you an owl when I realized I'd run out of floo powder at the office."

Ginny hugged Harry and said quietly, "It's okay. I'm glad you're home."

"Me too," said Harry.

"Is there anything new on the breakouts?" asked Ginny.

"Nothing. Whatever they're planning, they're being very smart. They're lying low. We haven't gotten even a whiff of anything out of the ordinary."

Ginny sighed. "That just makes this scarier."

Harry looked at Ginny with concern. "I know. But I'll find them, I promise."

Ginny smiled sadly at Harry and said, "Don't put this all on your shoulders. You have help, lots of it. Use it," Ginny began to walk back down the hallway to her office and called over her shoulder, "and come home on time tomorrow."

Harry watched his wife walk back into her office. He sighed deeply and began to walk to the kitchen to make himself a very late dinner.


	4. The Attack

**One month later.**

"Alright, we've got some great conditions today, although it's a little windy so keep that in mind," said James, looking around at his Quidditch team.

James was preparing his team for their first match. They were playing Ravenclaw, who were expected to be quite a challenge this year.

"Clark, Benjamin, remember what we worked on at practice yesterday. Keep those techniques in mind."

James was speaking to Gryffindor's Beaters, who were not only strong, but were also able to place bludgers with uncanny accuracy. They were well-known and well-feared amongst Quidditch players of other houses.

"Lily, take advantage of your speed. You're small, and you know how to fly that broom. You're one of the best fliers out there. Once you get around who you need to get around, you'll make it every time."

Lily, who played as a Chaser for Gryffindor, was fairly timid and had trouble with keeping the quaffle once she got it. However, she had inherited her mother's accuracy, and as James said, once she got around the people in her way Lily would score nearly every time.

"And remember, if you're not sure what to do, you've got Jack and me for help. The worst possible thing you can do is panic."

James was also a Chaser, along with Jack, a seventh year.

"Albus, Sam, we all have faith in you both. Albus, I know you're going to catch that snitch today. And Sam, I know that you're not going to let any stupid goals in. If the quaffle goes in, it was a hell of a shot."

There were several cheers after this last statement to the team's Seeker and Keeper. James looked around at his team one last time.

"Alright then. Let's do this."

The Quidditch stadium was packed with students and staff. Talk of this match had been going around for a while, and no one was quite sure who would win. No one wanted to miss it. As both teams marched onto the field, the stadium erupted with cheers.

"Captains, shake hands."

James still couldn't get used to being called "Captain." He loved it. He'd never heard his father so proud of him before telling him the news. Harry and Ginny couldn't make it to James' first match, but in a way he was happy for this. It gave him a chance to get used to being in charge and responsible for his team before his dad could critique him.

"Aaaaand they're off!"

Albus couldn't help but smile as he glanced at the commentator's booth and saw Hugo. While hovering above the pitch, searching for a glint of gold, Albus stole a few glances at the match. It was an extremely close game. One team was rarely ever winning by more than ten points before the other team came back.

"And Potter has the quaffle! Lily Potter, that is. I guess I ought to use first names for them, seeing as there's three of – GOAL! That's ten points for Gryffindor thanks to Po-Lily! That keeps Gryffindor in the lead, 80-60," said Hugo over the roar of the crowd.

"And there's another from James! 90-60, Gryffindor!"

Albus continued to listen to Hugo's commentary as he looked around for the snitch.

"And Ravenclaw bounces back with a goal! 90-70, Gryffindor!"

And there it was. A tiny glint of gold, hovering just above Sam's head as he dove to save a shot by Ravenclaw. Albus dove as fast as he could toward the golden hoops that Sam was protecting. He could feel Ravenclaw's seeker behind him, but knew better than to look back. It would only slow him down. All sounds were slowly escaping Albus. He could only hear the wind in his ears. No longer could he hear the crowd's cheers, Hugo's commentary, or any of the players. All of his senses were focused on the golden snitch, which was now just a few feet behind the middle hoop.

 _Crack!_

Albus' shoulder was walloped by a bludger, and he was sent spinning sideways. Albus grunted in pain as he tried to redirect his broom toward the snitch again. Ravenclaw's Seeker had passed him, and was reaching for the snitch...WHAM! Benjamin sent a bludger straight to the Seeker's head, and Albus flew past him. His right shoulder was throbbing, so Albus reached for the snitch with his left hand, barely able to stay on his broom...

"And Potter has the snitch! 150 points to Gryffindor! Gryffindor wins, 240-70!"

The crowd roared. Albus was all smiles and began to congratulate all of his teammates as they all flew into a crazy midair huddle on Gryffindor's end of the field. Albus looked toward the other end of the field and saw Lily hand the quaffle to the referee before flying toward the huddle. She was beaming until Albus saw two flashes of red light hit her directly in the chest.

Both teams watched has Lily's smile slowly faded, her eyes closed, and she began to fall.

"LILY!"

Forgetting everything, Albus dove. He flew faster than he'd ever flown in his life. All around him, there was nothing. Nothing but his little sister, who was falling faster and faster toward the ground. Albus gripped his broom with his right arm despite the excruciating pain, as fear gripped him more than any other pain possibly could.

The four seconds it took Albus to reach Lily was just barely enough time. Lily was about ten feet above the ground when Albus quickly gripped her arm with all his strength and tried to yank her body towards him. As he did so, he felt something pop in Lily's arm.

"Shit!"

Albus lost control of the broom. He fell the remaining distance to the ground faster than Lily, so he was able to grab her and cushion her fall as he landed directly on his back. His back didn't hurt at all, but he cried out as he felt a sharp, shooting pain in his shoulder. Still holding onto Lily, he opened his eyes just in time to see James fly past them on his broom.

James was not far behind Albus after he dove. It all happened so fast. Lily fell, Albus dove, then they were both on the ground. James had every intention of stopping, but then he looked up and saw two hooded figures flying away on broomsticks. He began to pursue them as fast as he possibly could.

James probably would have caught up to the hooded figures if one of them had not turned around. The face under the hood looked vaguely familiar, but James didn't have enough time to see many details before the hooded figures shot off faster than before.

To make things worse, the two figures began shooting curses behind them. This only made James angrier as he continued to pursue them. He reached into his pocket for his wand, but soon remembered that he didn't usually bring his wand to Quidditch matches. What was he going to do? The second they made it to Hogsmeade, they would be able to disapparate. Looking up, James realized that one of the hooded figures was turned around slightly.

Suddenly, the figure shot a spell directly at the roof of a small cottage James was just about to fly over. There was no way to dodge it. The tiled roof exploded underneath James, and he felt immediate pain all over. He could just barely see the two black blurs watching, so James willed himself to continue. Just one last dive would do it. James shot forward, but the hooded figures noticed just in time. James' fingertips were millimeters away from one of their cloaks when they disapparated.

James, losing consciousness, flew through the space that the two figures had just been occupying, and hurtled straight to the ground.

Albus was in pain. His shoulder was broken and completely out of place. He sat in the hospital wing with his cousins right next to him.

"Are you okay? Do you need anything?" Rose asked him.

"I'm fine. It's fine. What's wrong with Lily?" Albus asked for nearly the tenth time since he'd arrived in the hospital wing.

"Don't lie to me! And...I don't know yet. I don't think anyone knows yet," replied Rose.

"What spells were they? Did you see them? Please tell me you saw," said Albus.

"I did see it. I'm no expert though..." Rose trailed off.

"Yes you are! You're an expert at everything! Just please tell me what you thought it was, because I know you'll be right!"

"Well...judging by the color, trail, and force of the spells, it looked to me like they were both stunning spells," said Rose.

"But how can that be right? She should wake up soon then, shouldn't she?" asked Hugo.

Rose shook her head and said, "It's different. If it had been one little stunning spell, then yes, you'd be correct. But, these were two, extremely powerful stunning spells which she took directly to her chest. And she's..." Rose trailed off again.

"She's what!?" asked Albus, looking worriedly at the other side of the room where Madam Pomfrey was examining Lily on the other side of a curtain.

Rose looked frightened and said, "She's just so young, and so small. When someone her size takes a hit like that..."

There was silence. No one wanted to finish the end of that sentence. Suddenly, the door burst open, making all three of them jump. Albus winced in pain.

Professor McGonagall walked into the room briskly, followed by Harry and Ginny Potter.

"Albus!"

Harry and Ginny both rushed to their son.

"Mom, Dad – Lily, she-she was flying, and then-" Albus was near tears when his mother cut him off.

"We know what happened, honey. We are so proud of you. You saved Lily from a lot by catching her," said Ginny, kissing Albus on the forehead.

Harry smiled and said, "You caught the snitch and that just wasn't enough, huh?"

A tiny smile formed on Albus' frightened face.

The temporarily lightened mood plummeted when Madam Pomfrey began to walk towards the Potters.

"I don't want to move her until I'm sure of what's going on. I'm bringing in some Healers, they'll be here soon. She's breathing alright and that's the most important thing, so we can afford to wait for them to get here," said Madam Pomfrey.

"How long will it take?" asked Harry.

"A half an hour or less."

Harry nodded and turned to Professor McGonagall.

"Where's James?"


	5. Chaos

Albus was sitting up in his bed refusing to take the sleeping potion that Madam Pomfrey had given him. No matter how many times she tried to tell him that sleeping would help the pain, he still refused.

"Not until Lily's okay," he said.

So Albus sat bolt upright, staring at his little sister, wincing with every tiny movement he made.

It was painful to look at Lily. Not because of the cast on her arm, which was the only sign of injury she showed, but because she looked so still. Her eyes were shut, her skin was pale, and her breathing was barely noticeable. It was impossible to wake her. Madam Pomfrey had tried everything in her power, but nothing worked.

And then James was discovered, and the whole room was chaos again.

James was barely breathing when he got to the hospital wing. An old woman who owned a shop in Hogsmeade had gone to see what had caused the racket and found James lying face down in the grass. He was covered in cuts, bruises, burns, and blood. The woman originally thought he was dead, but she discovered James still just barely had a pulse. She contacted Professor McGonagall immediately, and James was sent to the hospital wing.

As James was brought into the hospital wing, Ginny began to scream. Professor McGonagall was trying her best to sooth Ginny, but her face was pale with fear as well. Rose began to cry, and Hugo's face turned green.

Harry and Albus looked identical. They both froze, their green eyes were wide, and their mouths hung just slightly open at the sight of James. Madam Pomfrey ignored all of the commotion and went to work, immediately treating James' wounds.

Harry could barely keep his emotions under control. He was used to experiencing this kind of chaos as Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, but never did he expect to go through this with his children. He felt useless and broken as he watched Madam Pomfrey tending to James.

Not knowing what else to do, Harry held onto Ginny, who was doing her best to hold back tears. Her jaw was clamped shut as she watched Madam Pomfrey work.

The room was silent for a long time as no one wanted to disturb Madam Pomfrey. James was beginning to look significantly better as she cleared much of James' blood away and sealed his gaping wounds with complex wand movements and incantations.

Suddenly, the door burst open again. Three healers hurried into the room. Madam Pomfrey looked up at them with relief.

"It's the girl there by the window. Witnesses say she was hit by two stunners to the chest," Madam Pomfrey told the healers, looking back at James.

The healers nodded and immediately began to examine Lily. At the same time, Madam Pomfrey finally straightened up and away from James. She turned to Harry and Ginny, looking exhausted.

"I've taken care of all the small cuts and bruises. Some of these burns are pretty severe, and they may take a day or two to heal. He suffered a cracked skull, a broken nose, and a broken wrist. It looks like he fell a pretty good distance, and he hit the ground headfirst. But don't worry, he'll heal up in good time. Due to the impact his head suffered, he may not wake for a few days. He also lost a lot of blood and I'm in the process of regenerating that now, so that could prolong his waking a little bit more."

Madam Pomfrey said all of this to Harry and Ginny very slowly and calmly. Harry and Ginny were listening very carefully, eyes wide.

"So...so he's going to be okay, for sure?" asked Ginny shakily.

"I am absolutely positive," said Madam Pomfrey with a small smile.

Harry and Ginny both breathed a sigh of relief and hugged each other. Harry felt the knot in his chest ease up a bit, but only for a moment. Over Ginny's shoulder, Harry could see the healers begin to levitate Lily away from her hospital bed.

"What? What's wrong with her?" asked Harry urgently, his voice cracking.

"They were definitely stunners. She's not responding well. Her body is not capable of handling such powerful spells. Her pulse is much too slow, and her blood is not flowing properly. We need to treat her with the proper equipment at St. Mungo's," said one of the healers.

Ginny was a mess, and so was Harry, but he knew he had to take control. These were his kids, this was his wife, this was his family, and that was something he valued more than anything. Harry took a deep breath and turned to Ginny.

"You go with the healers and Lily. I'll stay here for a while, then I'll meet you at St. Mungo's, okay?" said Harry, his hands on Ginny's shoulders.

Harry was glad to see Ginny take a deep breath and stand straight up, head high. She looked at him determinedly and nodded.

"She's going to be okay," Ginny stated, looking directly into Harry's eyes.

"Yes," he replied, and kissed her forehead.

The healers and Ginny walked out of the room behind Lily's levitating body and disappeared as the door shut behind them. Harry stared at the door for a moment and turned to face the remaining people in the room.

"Harry, I wish I could stay here, but the students – " began Professor McGonagall guiltily.

Harry cut her off by saying, "No, Minerva, it's fine. I completely understand. I'll make sure to speak with you before I leave."

Professor McGonagall nodded appreciatively and began to walk away. Before walking out the door she turned to face Hugo and Rose.

"I will let your Head of House know that you will not be meeting curfew tonight. You have my permission to stay the night in here...Of course, only if that's okay with you, Poppy."

Madam Pomfrey, who was finally getting to take a break and sit down said, "Oh yes, it's fine."

As Professor McGonagall strode out of the hospital wing, Harry conjured a glass and said, " _Aguamenti_."

"Thank you for taking care of my children," he said, handing Madam Pomfrey the glass of water.

Madam Pomfrey smiled and took the glass from Harry. Harry turned to face his son.

"Albus, what happened to James?" he asked as he took a seat on the edge of Albus' bed.

Albus winced in pain as he sat up a bit more and said, "I don't know, he went flying after something."

"People in hoods," said Hugo from the other side of the room.

"People in hoods? What do you mean?" asked Harry as he turned to face Hugo.

Hugo walked toward Harry and Albus and said, "When Albus caught Lily, James flew right over them. I looked to see what he was after, and there were two people on brooms flying away. They were both wearing big, black cloaks with their hoods up."

Harry froze.

"Hugo...did you...did you see either of their faces?"

Hugo shook is head. Harry turned to face Rose.

"Rose? What about you? Did you see their faces?"

Rose frowned and shook her head as well.

"It was Dolohov. And Macnair."

All four of them jumped, followed by a yelp of pain from Albus. Harry turned to see Olivia standing in the doorway, pale at the sight of James. Harry stood up and walked towards her.

"You're sure? It was Dolohov and Macnair?" Harry asked her urgently.

"Yes. I recognized them from the signs. James told me about the breakout on the train," said Olivia, her voice shaking.

Harry nodded and turned away as Olivia rushed to James. He vaguely heard Rose, Hugo, and Albus explaining to Olivia that James would be fine, but he wasn't paying any attention. Harry had been right. The Death Eaters did have a purpose, and it was revenge.


End file.
